Pain

So there is one person at my work who is very new to exercise and fitness, and while he's been doing really well and being diligent about going to the gym, he's always in pain.  Of course, anyone who's been around exercise knows that sore muscles and aches and pains come with the territory (provided you are always changing up your workout).

So with that, I only have one thing to say:

Pain is Weakness

Leaving the Body

TEDx Talk - Minding Your Mitochondria

This was posted on CrossFit Armoury's Facebook page but I thought I would share it with everyone.  It's Dr. Terry Wahls sharing her journey about curing her MS and what she learned about properly fueling her body.  Take a look and tell me what you think.

WOD for February 11 (Yes, I CrossFit on Saturdays)

It's only 7 minutes....of HELL!

7 Minute AMRAP:

3 Thrusters (65 lbs)

3 Chest To Bar Pull Ups

6 Thrusters

6 Chest To Bar Pull Ups

9 Thrusters

9 Chest To Bar Pull Ups
etc....

My score: 48 reps (I got to twelve Thrusters on the 12/12)

Vegan Brunch at Padmanadi

So the husband and I enjoy have brunch on Sundays, but with so many restaurants offering only high fat options, it's hard to find somewhere that won't throw your eating completely off.  But I will admit, I really do love a good Eggs Benedict.  Thankfully, there is Padmanadi !  It's a great vegetarian restaurant here in the city and they do a vegan brunch every Sunday.  They have waffles, biscuits, and even Eggs Benedict!  All vegan of course but so delicious.  Below is a picture of what I ordered and in the background there is my husband's order of Salty "Chicken" Strips.  Yumm!

That's a lot of food!  I didn't even eat the whole thing but it was still delicious!  Go checkout Padmanadi and all they have to offer.  And to my meat eating friends, try the Curry Chicken and tell me it's not delicious!

WOD for February 9

So I totally thought that this WOD wasn't going to be bad...boy was I wrong.

AMRAP in 30 minutes


25 Double Unders
7 Power Cleans (95/65)
7 Burpees
250m Row
7 Thrusters (95/65)
7 Pull-ups

My total (and I did it prescribed yahoo!): 4 rounds and 4 Thrusters

WOD for February 8

This was a hard one.  My quads are still hurting thanks to CrossFit Armoury

Buy in: 100 double unders

3 rounds for time:
100 ft Walking Lunges
50 Air Squats
25 Back Extensions


Buy out: 50 burpees (which was by far the grossest part of the workout)


My total time (buy in to buy out): 26:50

Pineapple, Cashew, and Quinoa Stirfry

 

I found this little gem of a recipe in one of my older cookbooks.  Again, it's really flavourful and filling and doesn't take long to make.  Starting to notice a pattern with my dinners?  Obviously, if you have a nut allergy, you can eliminate the cashews.

I can't remember the recipe off the top of my head but if you really want it just leave a comment and I'll get it to you! 

"Bang your drum hippie!"

It's inevitable that when you mention that you're following a plant-based diet, that you will hear the phrase "What are you, a hippie?" or "You eat what food eats" and I'm not going to lie it makes me laugh.  It's funny that anyone would classify me as a hippie as I a) Shop at departments stores, b) Watch terrible reality TV (Teen Mom anyone?) and c) Love brand names.

The reason I decided to switch to a plant-based diet is simply based on nutrition and health.  The research I have read and the documentaries I have watched have convinced me that this is the right approach to eating for me.  It works for my body and I'm happy with it.

On the flip side, once you mention the word "vegan", peoples' thoughts automatically switch to animal rights, PETA, and Greenpeace.  I'm here to say that we are not one in the same.  Here's my take on those topics:

Animal rights: I firmly believe that animals have a right to be treated well and humanely.  Some of the shit you see people do to animals is just evil. Unfortunately, the agriculture industry is not immune to animal abuse either.  In the US, there are some cattle farms that are nothing more than torture chambers for animals.  Thankfully, here in Canada we have far better regulations and our cattle roam around in spacious fields, not cramped into a metal pen just getting fattened up for slaughter.
To all my meat eating friends, keep doing what you're doing.  The only thing I ask you to think about is where is your meat coming from.  If possible, buy it from farmer's markets and local vendors.  And stick with Alberta beef.  I've tasted USDA Prime grade beef (the highest grade in the States) and that stuff tastes like shit!  

PETA: PETA is a firm believer in TOTAL animal liberation. TOTAL.  Meaning they believe that animals shouldn't be used as food, tools, companions, or entertainment.  Yeah that's right, blind people? Go f**k yourselves and guide yourself!  Adopting from the SPCA? F**k you too!  You!  Yeah, you with the two dogs!  Stop enslaving your animals!  They deserve to be free!
Crazy isn't it?  Imagine all the animal lovers who own pets and treat them like they are family giving money to an organization that wants to take that away from them.  At the end of the day, PETA is nothing but a domestic terror organization.  They pay people (there's research out there to show it) to firebomb animal laboratories and push their agenda through violence.  And to top it off? They kill more animals per year then they take in.  Seriously.  No joke.  PETA kills animals.


Greenpeace: Get stuffed.

What do you think?  Post below!

Recipe: Mushrooms, Kale, and Potatoes

This doesn't look like much, but it sure is tasty!  I've never had kale before so I was a little leery of it but in this mix it's great!  Kale is one of those great foods that is packed with nutritional value.  It's very high in Vitamin C, lutein, beta carotene and rich in calcium (and you thought you needed milk to get your calcium). And to top it off, since it's from the broccoli family, it contains sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.  It's like a freaking superfood!   

Totally vegan, good for you, and filling, this dish was really easy to whip up and it's great when you don't have a lot of time to cook. 

Recipe:

3 cups potatoes, diced

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves of minced garlic (I buy mine from a jar at Costco as it saves so much time on mincing)

5-6 cups of mushrooms, chopped

6 cups Kale (usually around 1 large bunch or 2 small bunches, can be found at any grocery store), stems removed, chopped

Red chili paste

Low-sodium Soy sauce

Fresh cracked pepper

1. Put potatoes in a saucepan, and fill with water until it just covers the potatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Once it's boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

2. While your potatoes are going, dry-fry (no oil) the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in a large skillet or a wok for 5-6 minutes until the onion and mushrooms are tender.  The reason you can dry fry the ingredients is that the mushrooms will start releasing their juices and that will act like an oil so nothing will stick.

3. Add your chopped kale to the mix and cook for about 3 minutes.

4. The potatoes should be done by now, so add them to the mix and cook for another 3 minutes.

5. Now season to your heart's content.  I like the chili paste because it gives a nice kick but you could use anything. After you season, stir it up and cook for another 2 minutes to let the flavours blend and serve warm!

Happy eating!

Jack LaLanne-isms

So I was randomly reading about Jack LaLanne today and wow, his advice was so ahead of it's time.  He was an early advocate of a meatless diet (but did include fish) and blamed overly processed food for our health problems.  He also used to say that America was starting to lose it's place as a first class country because people were becoming lazy, ate garbage, and stopped educating themselves on proper nutrition and fitness.  Did I mention that he said that in the 1950s?  Yes, heart disease, stroke, fatigue, and obesity are not new concepts.  The problem has been around for a long time, but it's only now that we are on the brink of having a generation of kids that may not outlive their parents that we are taking notice.  Looks like ol' Jack had it right all along.   Plus he had one hell of a sexy jumpsuit collection.

"Living is a pain in the butt. Dying is easy. It's like an athletic event. You've got to train for it. You've got to eat right. You've got to exercise. Your health account, your bank account, they're the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take out. Exercise is king and nutrition is queen: together, you have a kingdom."

-Jack LaLanne

WOD for February 6

Another day, another WOD (Workout of the Day) at CrossFit Armoury

As Many Rounds as Possible (AMRAP) in 12 minutes:

10 Wall Balls - 14 lbs
12 Sumo Deadlift Highpulls - 53 lbs
15 Box Jumps - 20 inches.  I ended up doing step-ups as I have an irrational fear of box jumps

My score: 4 complete rounds and 2 step-ups.

Not bad.  I'm just happy that my shoulder is happy again after being miserable all last week.